Octavius was awakened by the sound of someone entering his room. He looked out the window and saw the sun has started to come up. He had fallen asleep after everyone had left, and had apparently slept through the night. He sat up as best as he could in his bed, looking at them.
Before him stood a girl with bubble gum pink, fluffy hair that seemed to defy gravity. She was a bit pudgy, and she carried a very sweet smell with her. She was grinning very goofily, her smile seemingly too big for her face. Oddly, she reminded him quite a bit of a certain DJ.
She skipped over to his bedside, carrying a bunch of flowers and balloons. “Hey there!” She beamed down at him and plopped the flowers in a vase on the table, then tying the balloons around the bedpost.
“Hello there,” Octavius replied, staring at the bubbly girl. “Might I ask what you are doing in my room?”
“I came by to cheer you up, silly,” she replied, smiling at the injured man. “Nurse Redheart told me someone came in a few days back from a car wreck. They wouldn’t let me in until today though, because they said he was sleeping.” She looked sad for a moment, but her smile returned. “So when I came in this morning and they said you were awake, I ran right over and came to see you!”
Octavius sighed. “Ok, I understand that, but why exactly are you in MY room?”
The woman giggled. “I don’t like seeing people all saddy-waddy, so I bring them flowers and balloons lots of other fun things. Technically I work over in the sweet shop, but I volunteer here whenever I can!”
Octavius’ expression softened some. “Well, may I ask your name?”
“That’s easy,” the girl smiled. “I’m Pinkie Pie!”
“Hello, miss Pie,” Octavius held out his good hand. “I’m Octavius Melody. Pleasure to meet you.”
Pinkie grinned and shook his hand enthusiastically. “The pleasure’s all mine, Tavi!” Octavius groaned internally. He had known this woman less than five minutes, and already she was calling him Tavi.
“Could y-you two p-p-please keep it d-down?” The pair looked over to Ditzy, who was playfully glaring at them. “S-some of us-s are t-trying to g-g-get a little m-more sleep.”
“Oh, sorry, honey,” Pinkie said with a blush, grinning. “I guess we were being a teensy bit too loud.”
Octavius looked at Pinkie. He noticed she had on a bright pink tee shirt with a pair of blue jeans and some pink tennis shoes. She smiled a lot, so she was at least an outwardly happy person. She seemed like a nice enough person overall, though maybe a bit too silly for Octavius’ tastes.
She smiled down at him. “I’m glad you’re doing ok, Tavi!”
He groaned again, but returned the smile. “I appreciate the concern. Though, if I may, why would you go out and spend time and money on someone you don’t even know?”
“Because sometimes people are all alone here,” she said, her smile faltering some. “They look so sad, just laying there by themselves.” She looked up at Octavius again, her smile returning. “So I come here and do my darndest to put a smile on their grumpy faces!”
Octavius couldn’t help but smile at the woman. “Well, miss Pie, I think that’s extremely kind of you.”
“She comes and s-sees me when I a-accidentally g-g-get hurt-t,” Ditzy said, grinning as well. “She a-always m-makes me f-feel b-b-better.”
Octavius turned to face Ditzy, cringing slightly at her battered state. “I’m glad she’s able to cheer you up, Ditzy.” He looked back to the pink haired woman. She walked over to Ditzy’s bed and placed some flowers in her vase as well, tying a few balloons to her bedpost.
“And how are you doing today, Ditzy?” Pinkie smiled down at the blonde.
“I-I’m doing f-fine,” Ditzy grinned up at her.
“Fan-TASTIC!” Pinkie beamed widely, clapping her hands excitedly. She turned to face Octavius. “Well, Tavi, I gotta run, but I’ll come back sometime again this week, mm-k?”
Octavius nodded with a smile. “It was a pleasure to meet you, miss Pie.”
“You too, Tavi!” She ran over and shook his hand roughly, bouncing up and down. She waved goodbye to Ditzy, then skipped merrily out of the room.
Octavius looked over at Ditzy. She looked back at him with a grin. “She’s gotta b-be the sweetest p-person I know,” Ditzy said. “Besides my Doctor, of c-course.”
Octavius smiled slightly. “She certainly is something else, isn’t she?” He had never figured a complete stranger would come to visit someone else, just because they wanted to. She spent her own hard earned money on people who had no one else, who were all alone in there hospital beds, waiting to get better to return to the nothing they had before. He wondered who brought them flowers in the real world.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Octavius called, sitting up as best as he could in his bed, wincing slightly as he strained his broken arm.
The door was pushed open, and Vinyl and David walked in. David moved to Ditzy’s bedside, taking her hand in his, while Vinyl sat by Octavius’ bed in a rolling chair. “How ya holdin’ up, Tavi?” She smiled weakly at him.
“I’m alright,” he said, concerned. “Is something bothering you, Vinyl?”
“It’s nothing,” she said, a bit too hastily.
David rolled his eyes. “She’s upset over this whole ordeal, saying everything is her fault. Dash and I spent all yesterday trying to convince her it wasn’t.”
Ditzy looked around. “W-where is D-Dash?”
“Ri’ he’e,” came a female voice from the hallway. Dash walked in with rolls in both hands and another in her mouth. “Ma’, dis hothpil hath goo’ foo’!” She swallowed the roll, sighing contently. “So how’s it hangin’, everyone?”
Ditzy laughed, but quickly stopped, holding her side. “L-laughing h-hurts,” she said quietly. David smiled sympathetically.
Vinyl looked at Dash. “Where the hell did you get that?”
“Cafeteria,” she replied casually.
“What cafeteria?” David looked at her, still clutching Ditzy’s hand in his.
“The one on the first floor,” Dash said, looking at him. “Didn’t you see it on the way in?” She grinned at the DJ and the Doctor. “Or were you too concerned for these two?”
Vinyl blushed while David merely shook his head in mock exasperation. “Honestly, Dash,” he said, grinning up at her. “Sometimes you are too much.”
“You were concerned about me?” Octavius looked around the room at the three uninjured people, all of whom nodded. “Why?”
“We told ya man,” Dash said. “You’re our pal!”
“It’s what friends do,” David said.
Vinyl nodded, trying to avoid eye contact with Octavius or Ditzy.
Ditzy looked at the DJ concerned. “Vinyl, p-please,” she started. “D-don’t feel bad.”
“How can I not?” She looked up at the blonde.
“B-because ev-everything will b-be all right,” Ditzy smiled reassuringly at the other woman, who smiled back weakly. “W-we’re both t-tough, right, Tavi?”
“Right,” Octavius said, looking at the DJ. “It’ll take more than some silly car crash to stop us.” Octavius groaned internally. Even if he wasn’t going to die, he’d still be set back a few months in practice due to recovery time. He’d have to try to get another job. He might have to leave town, and leave behind his friends.
Octavius started to panic. What if he did have to go? These people really seemed to care about him. They were so different from what he was used to, not cold and heartless but warm and caring. He didn’t want to go back to being alone. He hated being alone. He wanted to be with his friends. He wanted –
“Here,” Dash whispered in his ear, slipping something into his hand. He looked down to see his pill, which he quickly popped into his mouth. “You were breathing a little funny. Figured you might need it.”
He nodded appreciatively. Looking around, he saw worry on the faces of pretty much everyone in the room. He blushed a little. “Sorry, everyone.”
“I-it’s ok, T-Tavi,” Ditzy said, flashing a smile. “Y-you don’t h-have to w-worry.”
Octavius returned the smile. He looked over to Vinyl. She smiled at him and slowly stood up. “I think we should go,” she said to Dash and David. “We don’t wanna freak poor Tavi out again.” She grinned at him, sticking her tongue out childishly.
Octavius rolled his eyes as the trio trooped out of the room.
“I l-like it when th-they come t-to see us,” Ditzy said, smiling.
“Me, too,” Octavius said. He glanced over at Dtizy to see her settle into her bed and close her eyes.
“I’m g-gonna t-take a nap,” she said. “I-if I sleep, it d-d-ddoesn’t feel l-like they’re g-gone so long.”
“Alright, Ditzy,” Octavius said with a smile. “Good night.”
“Good n-night, Tavi,” she said, sighing as she got comfortable.
Octavius watched as the blonde drifted off, leaving him with his own thoughts. He thought back on his panic attack. Did these practical strangers mean so much to him? Was he truly that worried about losing them?
Yes.
He tried to shake the voice out of his head. He was a professional. He didn’t have friends; he had colleagues. People who he worked with and nothing more.
These people are your friends. Let them into your heart. Open up. Be human for once, and not the machine you’ve always had to be. Trust them.
Octavius scoffed at his own foolishness. Trust only led to hurt and betrayal in his experience.
This isn’t like before. Try it. Let them in and come out of your shell. You’ve hidden for so long and missed so much. Live a little and have some fun.
Octavius sighed and settled in himself. He looked over at Ditzy, who was sound asleep. He sighed again and closed his eyes. Maybe she did have a point.
If he slept, he could see them sooner.